I will kill you in your sleep
by ChemicalSmile
Summary: Light is worried about L. But L won't let Light help. Light is a determined kind of suspect/friend however, and if L won't accept his help, then Light will have to force it onto him. Reviews are much appreciated. I don't own deathnote (there's no justice in this world).
1. Chapter 1

Light glanced across at L and did not like what he saw. He knew the detective was a 'functional' insomniac (this being a new use of the word functional Light had not fully understood until viewing L's everyday habits), but it was bordering on the dangerous. He should be pleased. With L's mental capacities hampered by the eye bags he was packing, his investigation into Kira would now surely be slowed. He would have more time to debate his next move. L was a formidable opponent, and one who required the most delicate and intricate strategies just to keep at bay.

The only problem was...Light wasn't pleased.

The feeling had surprised him unexpectedly when he first saw the tinge of black that surrounded L's eyes deepen. What had started as semicircles of black fading to grey had deepened and spread. L looked awful. His skin, always pale, was now sickeningly luminescent, and only served to enhance the delicacy of L. The sweets L ate seemed to fall away to nothing, and thanks to his now constant state of 'wired', his lithe frame had shrunk in on itself, until Light could count each rib should he wish, could discern the harsh jutting of pelvic bone against L's jeans. Looking at him now, Light was ashamed of himself for letting him get this way.

The feeling that had crept up on him was now all too clear-he cared about L.

'Light, could you pass me those files?' Light reached over for the files of Kira victims claimed within the last week, feeling strangely reassured by the jangle of handcuffs as he did so. At least he was close to L. He handed the files to L without a word. He had no idea how to go about this.

'L...'

L waited, as was his want, for a while. He often did this. Light put it down to L's annoyance at in articulation. A rushed response would be a garbled one. Finally though, it seemed as though L realised that Light would need some prompting.

'What is it, Light?'

L sounded worried. Could it be that L cared for him too? Light shook the thought from his head. He needed to focus on L.

'L-I think you need some rest.'

'Whatever could you mean Light-san? I am perfectly capable of regulating myself. I simply require less sleep than you do.'

Light inwardly sighed. This had been the reaction he had been fully expecting, but he couldn't say that he was happy about it. Not at all.

'L.'

Light stared at L. This had worked before when L was being unreasonable, such as asking the ice cream man if he could fill the cone with sugar, then icecream, then sugar. It was a combination of exasperation, hope, and dominance. Light wasn't sure how his physiognomy could ever accommodate such an expression, but he'd practiced in the mirror plenty.

'I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my personal habits, Light.'

Light held up the handcuff incredulously.

'As much as is possible under the circumstances.'

With that, L turned away from Light, a definitive sign that the conversation was over. Light felt hurt. He pushed it to one side. If L wasn't going to do things easy, he guessed he'd have to go in hard.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day was spent scheming. Light was with L 24/7. He had no idea how to get the detective to just _take a break already_. Short of knocking the man unconscious, which, as L continued to antagonise him into admitting he was Kira, looked increasingly tempting, Light Yagami was stuck.

It was not a state that came to him usually, nor did it become him.

L was increasingly worrying to observe. Standing up to venture to the kitchen for more sweet treats, he swayed slightly, his eyes unfocused. He stumbled a little as he walked. Light could see the toll it was taking on him physically, and mentally.

L had always been what some people might regard as 'eccentric', but at times he seemed downright crazed nowadays. A file had been lost and L had flown into a rage, shouting at Light until Watari located the file. Another time, Light had woken up to the sound of L muttering to himself in the room, rocking slowly. He knew the team could see the changes in L too.

Why don't they do anything? He thought to himself, viciously. Then he realised.

They were still intimidated by L. To suggest he needed sleep would be to suggest he was susceptible to weakness, and no-one in the team wanted to offend the great L.

He needed Watari.

In private.

Suddenly, Light knew what he was going to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Light had plenty of time to perfect his plan. He mused on how this was definitely A GOOD THING, sternly telling himself off for the mounting self-pity he felt.

Why did Light have plenty of time?

Light wished it was because he simply owned an infinite expanse of leisure time, a vista that fell outside the regions of normal logic and stretched away forever.

However. It was not.

It was because L was keeping him awake all night. Light allowed this sentence to run through his mind, half amused, half frustrated at the irony. Not the time, he told himself, as the running sentence began to cartwheel and evanesce into framed stills and movies of him and L. The only movie I'd ever want to make with L, Light pondered, would be a 'home movie'.

Stop!

He glanced pointedly at the clock. Three in the morning. Normally Light would of been able to sleep through L's incessant working, but L was watching CCTV footage of the prisoners on his ever-present laptop. Sleep was hard to find, listening to constant heart attacks, and the occasional off-the-cuff remark of the prisoners. His personal favourite so far:

'Why did the chicken cross the road?'

There had been no answering call of 'I don't know, why did the chicken cross the road?' Instead, Light had heard the prison corridor erupt into groans and shouts. Apparently the resident comedian was not appreciated.

Light stared at his pillow obstinately. His anger was being taken out on soft furnishings. No matter, he thought. Tomorrow, my plan proceeds. He allowed his eyes to flicker up to L. His hair truly was a sight to behold. It fell about his shoulders in a chaotic curtain of black spikes. His white top and pale skin contrasted with it even more so in the pixel-spun blue shroud that painted L behind his laptop.

L's eyes were worse than before.

Light looked away before L caught him staring. He turned his back on L, letting him enjoy his night in bed with his one true love-a laptop.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning, Light swung his feet out of bed with a feeling of purpose. He then swung his feet back into bed, remembering he couldn't go anywhere unless L did too.

While Light thought of excuses to talk to Watari privately, L closed his laptop ready for transportation to the working area.

They're all working areas for him, thought Light bitterly. As they made their way to the kitchen for the first high-caffeine, high-sugar beverage of the morning, Light mulled over his options. Why would he need to talk to Watari in private?

Watari was L's closest associate, and whilst Light respected him enormously, he also wasn't blind to the fact that he acted as a sort of butler to L. Could Light get this service also? He could talk to Watari under the pretext of asking for something. Something embarrassing that L would not want to hear an explanation about.

Bam!

L drank his tar-like coffee. Light watched in frustration as he dug out a spoon to aid him in the ingestion of the coffee. It was as thick as molasses. Hell, knowing L, it probably was molasses. Half an hour later they were seated at the day working area. Light decided to test his hypotheses. Feeling not unlike a scientist, he softly uttered 'Watari' under his breath.

He may as well have offered Watari his soul to eat. He was there in a flash. L looked up from his laptop, surprised.

'Watari, I do not believe I summoned you.'

'No, L, Light did.'

Watari then gave Light the same quizzical look that Light had seen him give to L countless times in the past.

'Er...Watari...I was wondering if I could request something...in private?'

L's eyebrows levitated up his forehead. Watari remained impassive.

'Light, I cannot allow you to have private conversations with the members of this investigation team. Primarily because _you_ are under investigation.'

'I know that...I just...'

Light looked suitably abashed. Here it came. He would gladly have chewed off his own nose rather than say this in such company (indeed, any company), but he knew it had to be done.

'I need to request an item that is...sexual in nature. These handcuffs are uh...well they sure do make a lot of noise, if you know what I mean.'

Light remembered the time he had left pornography on a living room chair,only to have his parents come home from an outing earlier than expected. He remembered his parents faces as they took in his frozen tableau of agony in the doorway, the x-rated literature that adorned their poor, innocent armchair...and worst of all...the popcorn he had ready by the chair.

This was so much worse than that.

You can't actually die,he thought to himself.

No sooner had he thought this than he noticed the way L's jaw had fallen almost perpendicular to his face. He clearly had no idea what Light could possibly mean by 'noisy handcuffs'.Maybe he could die of humiliation. After what seemed like aeons, finally Watari spoke.

'L, I feel that you should let Light talk to me in private about this. His ah...needs are clearly different to yours.'

Astonishingly L did not argue, but instead unlocked the handcuffs. All the while his face was a shocked mask of disbelief. Light felt like he had just told a child that they hadn't come from the cabbage patch.

Watari escorted Light down a polished corridor and into a small, immaculately tidy room. Light realised with a start that this must be Watari's bedroom. He had assumed Watari, like L, didn't sleep. That doesn't mean he wouldn't have a bed, idiot. Light chastised himself for being so naïve.

Watari was staring at him expectantly. Now came the really weird part.


	5. Chapter 5

'Watari...I may have lied to L out there.'

There was silence. Light could tell that Watari was not enjoying the particular avenue this conversation had meandered down by the way his lips were pursed tighter than usual.

'I need something that L can't know about-but it's for his well-being.'

Watari continued to look skeptical. Light decided it was time to just come out with it.

'He hasn't been sleeping-I'm worried about him. I know I'm a suspect in this investigation, but I care about L. He won't listen to me. That's why I need your help. I need you to help me to get him to sleep.'

Quiet fell around them and muffled the traces of words that had reverberated from Light. Then, slowly, Light could swear he saw relief filtering through Watari's iron mask.

'Light, I feel the same way. But how can we get him to sleep?'

There was a sort of desperation in Watari's voice that Light was only just now noticing. Watari cared for L too. It must be hard for him to see L this way, reflected Light.

'It sounds bad what I'm going to say. Could we maybe drug him?'

Immediately Watari was suspicious again. Light remembered that he was a suspect and cursed himself for not taking this slower.

'I know it seems like the perfect move for a suspect Watari-drug L and then escape, yes? But I won't do that. Because I'm not Kira. You can even stay with me while he sleeps.'

Light could tell that Watari's loyalties were torn. He didn't want to deceive L. He was the only person that L really trusted. But he cared for L. And L was going downhill-fast. Eventually, Watari's paternal feelings for L won out.

'Ok. As L's...well...I like to think of myself as...'

Light watched Watari wrestle with his words before laying a hand on his shoulder and looking straight at him.

'I know.'

A moment passed. When it had disappeared, Watari was back to business.

'Light, I shall indeed attempt to procure what you have requested.'

Light nodded. He no longer felt alone in his quest to help L. They made their way back to L, each the happier for having someone to confide their worry in.


	6. Chapter 6

L seemed to have recovered himself when they had returned. Watari nodded to them both before departing. The iron curtain that had fallen across all conversation may as well have been made from osmium. Light was sure that this would be the most painfully excruciating day of his life, when L saved him.

'There are some discrepancies in the files pertaining to Kira victims claimed in the last three days. Could you look through them and notify me of any you see?' Light was pleased for the distraction. He was however, a little exasperated. He was a suspect, yet he was, at the same time, refining evidence. He knew that L would check through the files after he had, and if Light had not told him of a mistake which L then saw, it would be taken as further evidence that Light was Kira. Light wondered how much per cent this might add on to what he was sure were made up statistics. They spent the rest of the day working, L occasionally foraging for sweets and coffee.

Light hoped Watari would not take too long finding a suitable drug.

L was getting to the point where even Light, who had a perverse admiration for his foe, was finding it impossible to be near him. Never the easiest person to be in the presence of, L was now uncharacteristically snappish. He kept questioning Light on what he had just said, and Light, perplexed, would tell him that he hadn't spoken. L would turn away, disbelief plastering his gaunt face. He's paranoid, thought Light.

Hurry up, Watari.


	7. Chapter 7

Light was just about done when Watari finally made his appearance. A dropped lollipop had resulted in what Light could only describe as a tantrum.

The accomplice/butler ghosted towards them in his usual inconspicuous manner. A brief interlude between his sighting by Light and the time when he presented himself to the two geniuses confirmed what Light had hoped would be the case. Watari's slight turning up of the lips was enough for Light to know that finally, he might be able to help L.

L did not turn at Watari's presence, although Light knew that L, unlike him, had developed the superhuman skill of detecting the butler without actively looking for him. It was a skill that Light envied enormously. Watari had caught him procrastinating at the computer far too many times.

'L, could I speak to Light for a moment?'

L looked confused for a moment, before Light saw flustered comprehension dawn on his face.

'Ah...of course.'

L undid the handcuffs with a little more vigour than was necessary, and Light felt a sort of misplaced anger radiating from L. He consoled himself with the justification that L wasn't very well at the moment.

Light followed Watari to the same room that they had utilised before. He turned to face his concerned comrade.

'One should be enough.'

With that, Watari pressed a vial of small pills into Light's hand.

'But wait, Watari-how do I get him to eat them?'

Watari looked abashed. It was the first time Light had seen such an emotion on the stoic man's face.

'I hadn't thought of that.'

Light thought for a few moments. Then he realised how simple it was.

'You prepare his cakes for him, yes?'

'Yes.'

'Well why not just incorporate the pills into the cake?'

A quizzical look was bequeathed unto Light for his suggestion.

'Have you seen how much cake L eats? He would overdose within minutes!'

If there had been a table on which to execute such a move correctly, Light would have face-palmed.

In a savage manner.

'Is there _anything_ that L eats in moderation?'

Light pondered on the fact that this question might take more brain power to answer than the police had as yet invested in the Kira investigation.

After several tumble-weeds had rolled across the bleak floor of the exchange, Watari finally spoke.

'I make him drink a glass of orange juice everyday.'

'Why didn't I notice this?'

'He waits until you are otherwise distracted to discreetly drink it.'

'But...why?'

'He's embarrassed.'

'Of?'

Light was sorry he had asked. It was clear that Watari held paternal feelings for L, and L was probably embarrassed to be shown to bend to the will of someone else.

Patching up his blunder, Light quickly became businesslike.

'Could you arrange it so that he drinks it at night? And disperse the powder contained within the pill into the drink?'

Light then realised something important.

'Wait-can you do that? Or does it render it inactive?'

'It says here that you can dissolve the pill contents into a drink if you so wish, so I do not think so.'

'Good. Then we are in accordance. Operation orange juice.'


	8. Chapter 8

Light and Watari once more made their way back to where L was sat, scrolling through a page of data.

'Thank you for your cooperation L.'

With that, Watari was away.

Light and L stayed sat at the computer for what felt like forever to Light. He was impatient for his and Watari's plan to come to fruition.

He and L made their way to the kitchen. L had once more run out of doughnuts.

Watari was stationed in the kitchen when they arrived, and Light wondered if he had been standing to attention there for all this time.

As they entered, Watari gave Light a meaningful look. It was now midnight, and Light understood what he had to do.

Feeling like an idiot, he began clattering around noisily, looking through cupboards and muttering about '_needing_ ramen', his peripheral vision caught Watari handing L a glass, and L surreptitiously taking it and draining it. The procedure was so quick that Light suddenly understood why he had never noticed before. When Light was looking for food in the fridge, that baby was getting all of his attention.

Light almost laughed to himself as he imagined the various orange juice 'incidents' that had been carried out behind his back, L furtively chugging back the only vitamin C the man ever ingested.

Now Light understood how L had not yet succumbed to scurvy.

Light finally located the 'lost' ramen, which had been in front of his face the whole time while he rearranged food in the cupboard, under the pretence of intrepid food forager.

'Ah-hah!'

Perhaps he had overplayed his part a little. Watari flashed him a warning look, while L peered at him curiously.

'Are you feeling quite alright, Light-san?'

'Er..yeah. Just...I'm so hungry. And I love...ramen.'

Even Light could hear how lame he sounded.

Watari looked like _he_ wanted to face-palm.

Light began to arrange the kitchen paraphernalia required to make ramen-a saucepan.

He cooked the ramen, all the while feeling the eyes of L and Watari concentrated on his back. Finally his back could stand the unaccustomed attention it was receiving no longer, and Light casually remarked that he had 'seen a new cake in the fridge.'

Light allowed a smirk to creep across his face as he heard L start rummaging frantically in the fridge. Light just prayed that there was a cake in the fridge, else he was going to be subject to one of L's moods.

'Light-san, this cake is the same cake as this morning.'

The disappointment in L's voice was palpable. Light almost felt sorry for him until the realisation that a cake had lasted the whole day hit him blind-side.

L must be worse than he thought to have let that happen.

'Sorry.'

Light had now cooked his ramen, and was eating it out of a deep blue bowl that he favoured. He realised as he inhaled the savoury umami-scented steam of the ramen, that he truly was hungry. When had he last eaten? Since he'd begun worrying about L, his own affairs had taken a back seat.

Light inhaled the ramen at...well, light speed, and gestured to L that he was ready to make his way back to the work place.

Light smiled back at Watari as they departed.

It was time for the fun to begin.


	9. Chapter 9

When he was a child, Light had sat and marvelled at how moths were attracted to bulbs. Despite the various moth lives that had been claimed by that hot beacon of light, still they came.

This was called irrevocably to mind as Light watched L gravitate once more towards the phosphorescent screen of the laptop, eyes wide.

Watari had not told him how long it would take for the pills to take effect, so Light sat patiently, biding his time. He kept a close watch on L, being vigilant of any signs that might imply the pills were working their molecular magic.

He peeked at the lower right-hand side of the laptop. Half-past twelve.

Light jumped when he heard a clatter on the floor. L, picking up a pencil to jot down some notes on the case, had dropped it. L always held objects so delicately.

Light decided that this was perhaps, one of those fêted signs.

He shifted slightly in his seat so that he might observe L more closely. His pupils were dilated, the inky blackness claiming the shore of the iris as though it had overflowed. The man's movements, eternally precise and graceful, had become looser, his arms now hanging slack at his sides. His shoulders were less hunched, and the finger that was to be found habitually in his mouth had fallen away to stroke the underside of the chair beam.

Light waited for longer. He wanted to be sure that L would be pliable, and open to suggestions from Light. Arguments with L were like arguing with a brick wall. Impossible to win, no matter how much you told yourself that you had given that mortar a good talking to.

L was slipping sideways on his chair now, his eyes unfocused. It seemed to Light that L's eyes had become augmented, the whites standing out stark against the dark of L's amplified pupils, which had by now claimed even more of his iris. The ridiculous wideness of L's eyes conveyed to Light that the man was trying desperately to prevent himself from falling asleep.

Light recognised his cue.

'L...'

L looked up, and Light nearly laughed. L was trying to show Light that he had his full attention, but his panda eyes couldn't settle on any one place of Light's face, and in turning around he had nearly fallen fully off his chair.

'L, I think it's time we went to bed.'

Light waited patiently while L tried to use his words. He could see his brow furrowing with concentration as he searched for the syllables to put in sequence, which in their turn might hopefully form a sentence with some coherent meaning.

'Light-kun does not understand...I do not need sleep...'

L's words were slurring. Light stood up with what he hoped was an authoritative air, and stood by L. Looking down on him, he used a firm voice, as though dealing with a child.

'In a way I am', he thought wryly.

'L-come on.'

Then L did something that Light had not been expecting.

Crossing his arms resolutely across his skeletal chest, he pouted up at Light.

'No. Don't want to.'

Light looked down on the worlds greatest detective, who had transmogrified into an infant before his very eyes.

'L-if you don't come of your own accord, then you shall have to come of mine.'

And with that, Light stooped down and picked L up bridal style.


	10. Chapter 10

L felt worryingly featherweight in Light's arms. Light could feel him writhing and squirming, repeating the mantra 'put me down...greatest detective...respect...put me down...' over and over. Resist as he might though, the drugs were now reaching a plasma concentration that Light knew would soon be enough to topple the stoic detective.

As they made their way down soft-carpeted corridors, Light prayed that no-one from the investigation team came out to hinder their passage. Light could only imagine the slow and torturous explanation he'd have to dream up for Matsuda.

L's body was loosening further in Light's arms. Light savoured knowing that the drug was forcing L to accede to its will.

Light finally reached the bedroom. He deposited a languorous L on the bed, and flipped on one of the lamps instead of the light, so as not to startle L.

Light relished the prospect that lay before him. All he wanted to do was look after L. There was something delicate and childlike about the man that made Light want to protect him. But L was so...unyielding to emotions. He was often cold towards Light, and there had been times when Light had felt sure that L wouldn't notice if Light simply disappeared.

Well-as much as he could be unaware of his prime suspect who happened to be handcuffed to him disappearing.

An aloofness surrounded L, making him unapproachable to Light in most matters. Now though. Now L's guard was down.

Light turned to look at L, swaying on the bed. He was so very vulnerable in this state.

Light loved it.

He walked to the end of the bed so that he could face L. L looked up at him slowly, lazily. Then he reached out a pale, epicene hand, caressing Light's face softly.

Light's breath hitched in his throat. He had not expected this. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his veins, and all he wanted to do was to kiss L. He knew that to take advantage of L in this state would be wrong though. L might end up pushing him further away than before. He couldn't risk that.

With enormous force of will, Light tenderly caught a hold of L's hand, and put it at his side. L looked up at him, confused.

'L-I think it's time you went to sleep.'

L was gearing up to be petulant again, Light could tell. His lips were beginning to form the childlike pout he had worn earlier.

Light sat behind L, stopping L from turning around by gently holding his shoulders in place. When L had stopped trying to peek at Light from behind his mane of onyx hair, when Light was sure L would stay in place, he slowly let go of his shoulders.

Hesitantly, Light began tracing shapes on L's back through his white cotton long-sleeved t-shirt. Light could feel the start L gave at first, but then he seemed to relax into the touch. Light thanked the miracle of modern medicine.

Long fingers snaked their way up to L's neck, and slowly massaged the porcelain skin there. L was becoming more and more tranquillized, the drugs and the soothing feel of Lights touch forcing him down under a blanket of pacification.

It wasn't long before L was recumbent in Light's lap, while Light carded his hands through the chaotic mess of his hair. L's eyes were only half-open at this point, and Light knew it would not be long until the detective would finally be asleep.

Light watched L's face freely, glad to be able to admire him openly without fear of recrimination. He loved the way L looked like this. He always wanted L to be this relaxed. Long eyelashes met the fragile, shadowy skin under his eyes, and L was asleep.

'Goodnight L.'


End file.
